Bucs earn more All-American honors

The East Tennessee State football team continues to pick up All-American accolades.

On Tuesday, STATS FCS announced its All-American teams, and redshirt senior offensive lineman Matt Pyke, sophomore defensive back Tyree Robinson and redshirt junior defensive lineman Nasir Player earned spots on the postseason squads. Pyke landed first-team honors, Robinson was placed on the second team and Player earned a spot on the third team.

The trio helped guide the Buccaneers to an eight-win season, a share of the SoCon title and the program’s first playoff appearance in 22 years.

Pyke, who also earned first team All-American honors by The Associated Press, started in all 12 games this season and was on the field for 789 of 795 potential snaps en route to earning the Southern Conference’s Jacobs Blocking Award and first-team all-conference honors.

The Anderson High School alum helped the Bucs record nine 100-yard rushing games and four games of over 200 yards. For his ETSU career, he started all 45 games at center.

Robinson posted 71 tackles, six interceptions, nine pass break-ups and 15 passes defended this past season for the Buccaneers. The first team all-Southern Conference selection led the league in interceptions and ranked seventh among FCS players in interceptions per game (0.5) and 17th in passes defended per game (1.3).

The Gainesville, Georgia, native garnered the SoCon’s player-of-the-month honor for October and was also tabbed STATS FCS National player of the week following his eight-tackle, two-interception game in the win over The Citadel on Oct. 13. Furthermore, he was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-American team on Tuesday.

Player, a finalist for Buck Buchanan Award, totaled 43 tackles (11 for loss), 11 quarterback hurries, six sacks and three forced fumbles in 11 starts. The first-team all-SoCon selection from Columbia, South Carolina, finished third in the conference in forced fumbles per game (0.27), tied for fourth in sacks per game (0.55) and tied for sixth in tackles for loss per game (1.0).

In addition, running back Quay Holmes and offensive lineman Tre’mond Shorts were named to the HERO Sports Freshman All-American team on Monday.